Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Providing High-Quality Heart Attack Care

August 2024 – Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System has received multiple American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines® achievement awards for demonstration commitment to following up-to-date, research-based guidelines for the treatment of heart disease, ultimately leading to more lives saved, shorter recovery times and fewer readmissions to the hospital.

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a heart attack, and heart disease is the number one cause of death in the country.

Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest evidence- and research-based guidelines. As a participant in this program, Morristown-Hamblen qualified for the awards by demonstrating how their organization has committed to improving the quality of care.

“The cardiology team at Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System is committed to providing the best care possible for each patient we encounter. Our team is a dedicated group of professional technologists, registered nurses, practitioners and physicians who provide routine and emergency care 24 hours a day. This team, in conjunction with the emergency department team, critical care staff, respiratory care and regional emergency medical service agencies, are able to stop and treat an active heart attack quickly and safely,” said Brad Richardson, manager of cardiac and pulmonary services at Morristown-Hamblen.

“This team routinely out-performs the national benchmark for emergency and routine cardiac care. This rapid and effective care is highlighted by repeated awards from the American Heart Association. We are honored to serve not only Hamblen County, but also all surrounding counties as one of the only primary interventional cardiac catheterization laboratories between the Tri-Cities and Knoxville.”

This year, Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System received these achievement awards:

• Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Center – Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™
• Get With The Guidelines® – Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™

These awards are earned by hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to treating patients according to the most up-to-date research-based guidelines for STEMI and NSTEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association.

Additionally, Morristown-Hamblen earned the Target: Type 2 Diabetes™ Honor Roll Award. This award aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to heart attack.

“These awards show Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System’s commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the American Heart Association Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

About Get With The Guidelines^®

Get With The Guidelines^® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 14 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.